304 



On Guano. 



ashes, and applied it for turnips, by sowing it on the furrow, broadcast, 

 and harrowing it in lightly ; and, as we had frequent showers at the 

 time, the seed soon vegetated, and the plants grew away from those on 

 each side, and were large enough to hoe 2 or 3 days before those on the 

 land I had manured in my usual way with dung and mould. In each 

 case I applied at the rate of 2 cwt. per acre. The ashes I mixed with it 

 were dry, and such as we usually obtain by burning round the hedge- 

 rows and borders of our fields. I have no doubt of its being a very 

 powerful manure; and, on very poor soils, I think I should put on 

 1 cwt. per acre more than I did this summer, especially if I could not 

 procure ashes in sufficient quantities to mix with it." 



3. '■'■Mr. Westcar, of Burnivood, Surrey, tried 7 J lbs. upon 5 rods 

 of land, drilled in with barley and clover. Upon other 5 rods he ap- 

 plied the best farm-yard manure, at the rate of 18 loads to the acre, and 

 sowed on these an equal quantity of the same seeds. The result was — 



From dung, 18 loads to the acre . . 1 bushel 3 quarts. 



From guano, 2 cwt. to the acre . . . 1 „ 7 „ 

 Being a saving of expense in the manure, with an increase in the 

 crop." 



4. "ikfr. Smith, of Gunion Park, applied 4 bushels, about 200 lbs., 

 of guano to a statute acre ; and on another equal portion of land on the 

 same field, applied 15 bushels (6 cwt.) of bone-dust. Both were drilled 

 into the ground with the seed-wheat. The guano gave 6 quarters 2 

 bushels 1 J peck ; the bone-dust only 4 J quarters of wheat." * 



.5. Experiment of Mr. Skirving, at the Walton Nurseries, near 

 Liverpool. — " Three plots of ground were manured respectively with 

 guano, nitrate of soda, and farm-yard manure ; and to a fourth portion 

 nothing was applied. All the four were sown with Italian rye-grass, on 

 the 19th of May ; and all were cut on the 2nd of August last. The 

 results were as follows : — ■ 



Tons. cwt. lbs. 



Guano, 3 cwt. per acre . . . 14 15 26 

 Nitrate of soda, 3 cwt. per acre . 14 13 3*7 

 Farm-yard manure, 20 tons per acre 13 2 96 



Without manure .... 7 0 108 



Mr. Skirving adds " that the experiment was made on poor light 

 black soil, inclining to peat. The land was first dug over, and then the 

 manures spread on it and lightly dug in. On account of the very dry 

 w^eather at the time of sowing, the seed did not come up very soon on 

 any of the plots, but when the rain came the crop appeared; and on the 

 nitrate of soda and guano made more rapid progress, by a great deal, 

 than on the farm-yard manure, and continued to do so until I was 

 obliged to cut the crop, its luxuriance being such, both on the guano 

 and soda, that it was all down and lodged, and injured the roots. 



" The second crops on these manures will differ in point of weight, I 



* Communicated by Mr. Macdonald, of St. Mildred's Court, Poultry ; as 

 were Nos. 2 and 3 also. 



